The Joy of Classical Music

Andrew Johnstone
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Exploring classical music in all its glories and complexities. From the sweetest melodic to the cutting edge of the avant-garde... from the deep past to the freshest contemporary. All of it. The joy of classical music.

  1. 2D AGO

    Ep 142 - Marc Blitzstein's Airborne Symphony

    Last week's episode opened with Theory of Flight, the first part of the the first movement of Marc Blitzstein’s Airborne Symphony, a work I enjoyed so much that this week I’m doing something I have never done before, devoting an entire episode to one piece of music. Leonard Bernstein, The New York Philharmonic, The Choral Arts Society and Orson Welles perform Marc Blitzstein: The Airborne Symphony FIRST MOVEMENT Theory of Flight Ballad of History and Mythology Kittyhawk The Airborne SECOND MOVEMENT The Enemy Threat and Approach Ballad of the Cities Morning Poem THIRD MOVEMENT Ballad of Hurry-Up Night Music/Ballad of the Bombarder Recitative: Chorus of the Rendezvous The Open Sky The Joy of Classical Music Episode 143 - Part 1: New Favourites and Recent Discoveries For the next two episodes I’m going to be taking a closer look at some new favourites and this week it’s music from pianists Julia Hamos and Jeremy Denk, songwriter and composer Marc Blitzstein, soprano Isabel Schicketanz and Sweden’s Gavle Symphony Orchestra. Julia Hamos performs Charles Mingus - Myself When I Am Real William Sharp and Steven Blier perform Marc Blitzstein - The New Suit Isabel Schicketanz performs Adam Krieger - Der Liebe Macht herrscht Tag und Nacht Jeremy Denk performs Claude Debussy - Images, Book 1, L. 110: No. 1, Reflets dans l’eau Avi Avital, Between Worlds Ensemble and Marina Heredia perform García Lorca, Solinís: Canciones españolas antiguas: No. 10, Zorongo Julia Hamos performs György Ligeti - Etudes, Book 1: No. 4, Fanfares Gavle Symphony Orchestra performs Max Reger - Romantic Suite, Op. 125

    58 min

  2. FEB 9

    Ep 141 - Part 2 From the Concert hall to the Musical Stage

    Beginning around the 1920s, composers in American and elsewhere began imagining a new kind of musical theatre, a fusion of styles that borrowed from established operatic traditions, Broadway and popular music and culture, but whatever it was going to be, it wasn’t going to happen overnight, it would be something that evolved over time. Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring the new musical theatre and some of the composers that brought it to life. Leonard Bernstein, Choral Art Society and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Orson Welles perform Marc Blitzstein - Airborne Symphony: I. Theory of Flight Steven Blier and William Sharp perform Marc Blitzstein - Stay In My Arms Marc Blitzstein - The Cradle Will Rock: Scene 1 - Streetcorner: I'm Checkin' Home Now Marc Blitzstein - The Cradle Will Rock: Scene 2 - Nightcourt Marc Blitzstein - The Cradle Will Rock:Scene 3 - Mission Scene Sheri Greenawald and the Scottish Opera Orchestra perform Marc Blitzstein - Regina: Act 1: Lionett Gregory Mercer performs Marc Blitzstein - Sacco’s The Whole Shoe from Sacco and Vanzetti Magdalena: A Musical Adventure Studio Cast Recording: Villa-Lobos - Magdalena: Festival of the River Magdalena: A Musical Adventure Studio Cast Recording: Villa-Lobos - Magdalena: Finale: The Seed of God The Hague Philharmonic perform Shostakovich - Mosow-Cheryomushki: Prologue - Meeting You Here We Do Not Want Superfluous Words. The Hague Philharmonic perform Shostakovich - Mosow-Cheryomushki: Tyoplui Lane The Hague Philharmonic perform Shostakovich - Mosow-Cheryomushki: Lidochka's Song The Hague Philharmonic perform Shostakovich - Mosow-Cheryomushki: When I am Wondering Along the Streets of Moscow

    1h 9m

  3. FEB 2

    Ep 140 - Part 1 From the Concert Hall to the Musical Stage

    Beginning around the 1920s, composers in American and elsewhere began imagining a new kind of musical theatre, a fusion of styles that borrowed from established operatic traditions, Broadway and popular music and culture, but whatever it was going to be, it wasn’t going to happen overnight, it would be something that evolved over time. Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring the new musical theatre and some of the composers that brought it to life, people like Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein and Marc Blitzstein, but kicking it off, it’s the music of the incomparable George Gershwin. Fred and Adele Astaire perform George and ira Gershwin - Fascinating Rhythm Al Jolson performs George Gershwin and Irving Cesar - Swanee The Juilliard String Quartet performs George Gershwin – Lullaby Frances Lucey performs George Gershwin and Buddy DeSilva - Blue Monday: Has Anyone Seen My Joe? Leonard Bernstein and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra perform George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue Judy Garland performs George and Ira Gershwin - I Got Rhythm Adele Addison performs Summertime from 1959 film Porgy and Bess, Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin Robert McFerrin performs I Got Plenty O’ Nutting from 1959 film Porgy and Bess, Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs George Gershwin - Catfish Row

    1h 17m

  4. JAN 26

    Ep 139 - Part 4 The Best Classical Albums of 2025

    The final episode of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 includes recommendations from Gramophone, Classical Radio Boston 99.5FM, The New York Times and NPR. Among the selections is composer Arthur Bliss’s joyous and lyrical Cello Concerto and Seelentrost, an album from soprano Isabel Schicketanz that explores early Baroque music about the soul. Avi Avital with Between Worlds perform Manuel de Falla: El amor brujo: Danza del juego del amor from The Song of Birds Alessia Tondo, Avi Avital and Between Worlds perform Bella ci dormi from The Song of Birds Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform Arthur Bliss - Cello Concerto from Arthur Bliss: Cello Concerto Isabel Schicketanz performs Johann Theile - Gott hilf mir, denn das Wasser gehet mir bis an die Seele from Seelentrost Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform Igor Stravinsky - Dumbarton Oaks Concerto: Movement II from Hallelujah Junction The London Philharmonic performs Tania Leon - Pasajes from Tania Leon - Orchestral Works

    1 hr

  5. JAN 19

    Ep 138 - Part 3 The Best Classical Albums of 2025

    Part 3 of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 includes recommendations from The New York Times, The Times and classical music streaming site Presto Music. Among this weeks selections is the Collected Works of Steve Reich, a 27 CD set that spans 6 decades and Songs of Passion, a collection of vocal and instrumental music by John Dowland and Henry Purcell. Lutist Thomas Dunford performs John Dowland - A Dream from Songs of Passion Alarm Will Sound performs Steve Reich - Tehillim: I. Psalm 19:2-5 - Hashamyim mehsapehrim kavohd Kail from Steve Reich - The Collected Works Thomas Dunford, Lea Desandre, Jupiter, Alex Rosen, Jess Dandy and Laurence Kilsby performing John Dowland - First Book of Songs or Ayres: No. 1, Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite from Songs of Passion Gävle Symphony Orchestra perform Max Reger - 4 Tone Poems After Arnold Böcklin: No. 1, Der geigende Eremit from Reger: 4 Tone Poems After Arnold Böcklin, Op. 128 & Romantic Suite, Op. 125 The Philadelphia Orchestra perform William Grant Still: Symphony No. 2 Movement 4: Song of a New Race from Still & Bonds - Symphonies & Variations The Philadelphia Orchestra perform Margaret Bonds: Montgomery Variations: VII. Benediction from Still & Bonds - Symphonies & Variations The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs Anna Clyne - Within Her Arms from Abstractions

    1h 1m

  6. JAN 12

    Ep 137 - Part 2 The Best Classical Albums of 2025

    In Part 2 of the Best Classical Albums of 2025 we will be hearing music from albums recommended by Gramophone, Substack writer Leah Broad, The Boston Globe, Apple Classical, and I Care If YouListen. Among the selections is an evocative album by pianist Julia Hamos called Ellis Island and the wondrous Yanga from YANGA: an album of Orchestral Works by Gabriela Ortiz. Countertenor Hugh Cutting performs Herbert Howells - Come Sing and Dance from Refound Pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra perform Elena Kats-Chernin: Ancient Letters: Movement 1 - Tiger Club from Ancient Letters Julia Hamos performs Meredith Monk - Ellis Island from Ellis Island Here’s Chris Thile performs Ciaccona, the fifth movement from Bach’s Partita No 2 in D-Minor from Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2 Sarah Alice Ott performs John Field: Nocturne No. 15 in D Minor, H. 59 Song Without Words from John Field: Complete Nocturnes Sphinx Virtuosi perform Quenton Blache - Habari Gani from American Mirror Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Tambuco Percussion Ensemble perform Gabriela Ortiz - Yanga from YANGA: an album of Orchestral Works by Gabriela Ortiz.

    58 min

  7. JAN 4

    The Joy of Classical Music - Ep 136 - Part 1 The Best Classical Albums of 2025

    Over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be playing a wide selection of music drawn from numerous Best Classical Music of 2025 lists. In this episode we’ll be hearing music from albums recommended by NPR, The Guardian, Gramophone, The New York Times and Bandcamp. Among the selections is a personal favourite - Hallelujah Junction, an album by pianists Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene ROSALÍA - Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti from Lux ROSALÍA - Reliquia from Lux The Hermes Experiment perform Islands from Tree Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley with the Munich Radio Orchestra perform Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto: Gualtier Maldè! ... Caro nome from Golden Age Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform John Adams - Hallelujah Junction: Movement 1 From Hallelujah Junction Les Kapsber’ Girls perform Barbara Strozzi - Che si può fare? from Vox Feminae Exaudi Vocal Ensemble performs Jürg Frey - Polyphonie der Wörter from Voices Lukas Geniušas and Anna Geniushene perform George Gershwin - Cuban Overture (Arr. for 2 Pianos by Gregory Stone) from Hallelujah Junction

    1h 6m

  8. 12/29/2025

    Ep 135 - Part 4 Music Inspired By Science Fiction

    Episode 135 of The Joy of Classical concludes our four part journey through the little known classical music genre of Music Inspired by Science Fiction. Following on from episodes 118, 119 and 122, this episode features music by composer Michael Daugherty and a little nostalgia as I examine my own love of science-fiction and the qualities it has brought to my life. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra performs John Williams - Lost in Space Theme - Season 1 and 2 Original Theme and the Revised Season 3 Theme John Williams - The Time Tunnel Theme The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra performs Michael Daugherty’s Time Machine: Movement 2. Future Percussionist Evelyn Glennie and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform Michael Daugherty UFO: Movement 5 - Objects The Baltimore Symphony performs Michael Daugherty — Metropolis Symphony: Movement 2 - Krypton Theremin specialist Katica Illényi and the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra perform Alexander Courage - Original Star Trek Theme The Danish National Symphony Orchestra perform Richard Strauss - Thus Spoke Zarathustra! from 2001: A Space Odyssey The Danish National Symphony Orchestra performs Jerry Goldsmith - No Escape from The Planet Of The Apes The London Theatre Orchestra perform Ron Grainer - Dr Who Theme The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra perform Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Next Generation Theme Christina Johnston and the Dvořák Hall Film Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra perform Star Trek: The Original Series theme

    58 min
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About

Exploring classical music in all its glories and complexities. From the sweetest melodic to the cutting edge of the avant-garde... from the deep past to the freshest contemporary. All of it. The joy of classical music.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Johnstone
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    143
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C)Free FM
  • Show Website
    The Joy of Classical Music